# Cancer



## KathrynNicole (Mar 18, 2006)

My father was diagnosed with GBM (Glioblastoma Multiforme) almost two years ago. He was given 6 months, to a year, to a year and a half to live. My father has had a brain tumor removed twice, now. The tumors will continue to return.

My birth mother discovered she had breast cancer a few months later. It was shorty after we reunited. The cancer may have spread.

My husband and I watched his grandmother (who shared my birthday) fight the battle a few years before the disease inflicted my father and birth mother. 

Has anyone experienced cancer, personally, or do you know someone that has? I'd really like to read your stories.

:heart:


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## Nicolet (Mar 19, 2006)

KathrynNicole, I'm so sorry to hear about everything that your family has had to endure. God bless you and keep you strong.

My mother-in-law is in remission from colon cancer. It's been a couple years now. My uncle is also going through chemo right now, for colon cancer. In the last few months, I've lost 2 aunts to cancer as well. One had bladder cancer, and one had lung cancer (she's never smoked either). It just seems so prevalent these days.

Sadly, I recently found out that a close friend of mine has melanoma (skin cancer). It is very advanced, and she has just undergone major surgery. Her chances do not look great. She is only 37 years young, and has 4 beautiful children (under the age of 8). It is very sad and very scary.

I guess for the rest of us...we need to make sure we take good care of ourselves and those around us. Most of it is out of our hands. But, going to get physicals regularly and wearing sunblock can't hurt.


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## KathrynNicole (Mar 19, 2006)

My :heart: goes out to you and yours, Nicole! Thanks for sharing. God bless you as well.


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## erica_1020 (Mar 19, 2006)

I will keep you both in my prayers.


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## KathrynNicole (Mar 19, 2006)

Thanks, Erica. :heart:


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## iloveparis (Mar 19, 2006)

Hi Kathryn,

My dad just passed away from liver cancer recently....it really is the most difficult thing in the world. To see someone you love go through something so horrible is just devastating. This was the first time that I saw someone close to me deteriorate like that and literally slowly die before my eyes. It was about five weeks from when he was diagnosed to when he died.

There really is nothing I can say to console you, but please know I'll keep your family in my prayers.


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## KathrynNicole (Mar 19, 2006)

Emmy, I'd like to extend my sincere condolences to you and your family. :heart: Thank you so much for posting.


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## chienkiri (Mar 20, 2006)

my mother had a cancer... my cousin died for a cancer the last year and my uncle these year .. only my mommy is alive she's a very strong person and now she changes her life she eats better make fitness and she's always work but the other relatives smoked a lot and then the cancer ....


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## Laura (Mar 20, 2006)

My SO's dad died of lung cancer on New Years Day. It is the most horrible disease out there and i pray to god they find a cure for it soon.

Also my friends brother got cancer when he was 14 but he's in remission now thankfully.


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## KathrynNicole (Mar 20, 2006)

chienkiri and Laura, Thanks for sharing. My heart goes out to you, both.

Thanks for sharing, Kim. :heart: My heart goes out to you, your family and co-workers.

My father has stage 4. He's had two surgeries, almost a year apart, to remove a brain tumor. At some point, though, surgery will no longer be an option.

I agree with you. It has to do with one cell, in our bodies, if I remember correctly.


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## peekaboo (Mar 20, 2006)

Cancer is really devastating..my heart goes out to all who have experienced it/dealing with it. My grandfather was diagnosed with prostate cancer was treated and is in remission. My BF aunt battled breast cancer for many years and went into remission it came back and metastisized (spread)and passed shortly after. There is cancer on my grandmother's side and most of her brothers and sisters have passed away from some form or another. Treatments have come a long way but nonetheless my thoughts go out to all dealing with it.


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## RoaryKennedy (Mar 27, 2006)

Dear Katie,

I am so sorry to hear about your father and your birth mother. Cancer is such an icky, icky thing--for both the person suffering and the family and friends who love them.

My stepfather was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer that had spread to his liver at the age of 53. He lived for 14 months, and endured two rounds of chemo that offered no real relief--only suffering and a loss of quality of life. But, when he opted for chemo, he really and truly believed that it would help, and even if it could not save his life, it could at least extend his life--and it did. The life expectancy for untreated small cell lung cancer is only 3 to 4 months. He died three weeks before my wedding. His death was caused because his cancer had spread to his brain, and one of the tumors ruptured and caused him to hemmorhage. But at the end, it was very fast--it was only a matter of three hours from the first symptom of the hemmorhage to his death. And that's what he wanted, was for it to be over quickly, with comas and prolonged suffering in the hospital or hospice.

When he was sick, it was miserable to see him. He lost all of his hair, he lost so much weight--my mom says that the Golem character in the "Lord of the Rings" movies reminds her of how he looked when he was sick. It was so miserable to be in there house, and even to make eye contact with him because it was just so painful to look at him. How unfair life can be, that cancer took this big, strong, intelligent man who spent his life counseling drug and alcohol addicted teens. He was a smoker, but his type of lung cancer is affliated with his exposure to Agent Orange when fighting in Vietnam.

So, I am very sorry to hear of your pain. I know there is nothing that I can say to ease your pain, but know that you are loved--and that you love your dad and your birth mother, and they know that and use that love to help them in their fight against this awful disease.

Take care of yourself, and happy thoughts for the future!

jen


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## Andi (Mar 27, 2006)

my younger brother was diagnosed with leukaemia at age 15, spent 1 year in the hospital and had to drop out of school because of that. the chemo (he didnÂ´t need a bone marrow transplant, thank god...those things are complicated and donÂ´t always work out) made him loose weight till he was skin and bones, then his face "swelled up" from the cortisone and lots of other stuff.

he had side effects to a medication which caused a psychosis. he called me at 3am saying "youÂ´re the only one who can save my life, Andrea. I know the doctors just want to kill me. stay in med school and get done fast, IÂ´ll wait to die till youÂ´re done and then you can cure me"...this tops all the physical pain I had to watch him go through, and it was the most horrible experience of my life. I was there too when he had this and the doctors had to give him shots to calm him down cause he literally punched a doctor in the face when he tried to draw blood from his arm. my brother was convinced the doc tried to kill him.

the patientÂ´s and his/her familyÂ´s attitude towards a lifechanging experience like that matters so much. IÂ´ve seen some of the kids who were in the hospital with my brother die at the age of 2,8,19 and they were friends with my brother. yet my brother was always the most positive one about his disease. he had tremendous hope in the doctors and medicine in general, was so well informed about everything at that young age and he ironically HE helped us go through this.

we were lucky though, he has been in remission for 2 years now. 3 more and he offically counts as "cured"...although you can never be 100% sure that it doesnÂ´t come back.

it makes me sad just to read/write about this. I am really thinking about going into the oncology field after med school, there is so much good to do besides all the pain the patients go through


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## Andi (Mar 27, 2006)

thatÂ´s so true. I remember one of my professors saying "if weÂ´d all live long enough then every single one of us would get cancer at one point. youÂ´re just lucky if you die of another thing before"


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## Amethyst (Mar 27, 2006)

My best friend from back in my college days beat breast cancer a couple years ago. She lives all way over in Hawaii &amp; when she was going through treatments I called her every week. She has two children &amp; is married. I couldn't be there with her but I tried to be as supportive as a long distance friend could be. She is currently cancer-free. We are the same age and when I found out I felt like my breath was taken away. It seems that almost every week I hear of someone else who has breast cancer. I don't know why but not a day goes past that I don't think about cancer. I think about it every day. Morbid way to live but that's true. Maybe is because someone I know who is close to me had it. Maybe its because of my age...but I often feel like I'm waiting to find out when I'm going to get it. I know not everyone gets it. I think knowing so many people who had it, has made me paranoid. My sister-in-law's mother even died from it.

My grandfather died of skin cancer so that has made me very cautious of the sun &amp; tanning. My former boss's husband died a few months ago from lung cancer. Its a terrible way to live - to live in fear. We can send people to the moon, why can't we totally &amp; completely eliminate cancer from our lives?

*KathrynNicole - - I wish you, your dad &amp; your family strength to deal with your father's illness. Its not easy. Love, prayers, hugs and strength for you.*


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## devinjhans (Mar 28, 2006)

I had cancerous cells in my cervix when i was 13 and it still makes me nervous everytime i have to go and get a pap smear and my results come back negative. My father-in-law passed away last January on his wife's birthday from Lymphoma after battling for a year and a half. My friend had ovarian cancer when she was 8 years old and had to have her ovary removed. She has been in remission ever since. My cousin has breast cancer and is in remission. It is so sad to see cancer become such an epidemic. It really has taken over and seems to effect everyone in one way or another.


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## KathrynNicole (Mar 29, 2006)

:icon_cry::icon_cry::icon_cry: I'm sitting here in my bed re-reading all of your replies. My husband has been sleeping for hours now. Every single experience is so very touching. I've been trying to figure out what to say, for days, and nothing feels appropriate. At all. I just wanted everyone to know that my heart honestly does go out to each and every one of you and your families, friends, etc. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. I know for a fact that it's not easy. However, it's probably beneficial for us all to talk about it, from time to time, and reading what others have gone through (and/or are going through) enables us to see that we're not alone. I wish I were able to state my feelings more eloquently, but at this very moment, I am not. I've attempted to respond several times, so please don't think I've been ignoring any of you. :flowers: :flowers: :flowers: 

Oh, and thanks again for sharing and for the kind words. I'm off to wake up my husband. :heart: I need to be held.


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## KathrynNicole (Apr 7, 2006)

My father's health has declined, significantly, and he probably doesn't have much time left. I'm going to say goodbye to him ASAP. I'm really scared to see him.

I miss all of you!

:heart:


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## makeupfreak72 (Apr 7, 2006)

my mother died of pancreatic cancer when i was 19 and she was 42, her mother died of cancer and was only 52 or 53 and now my moms only living sister has cancer and is 52 i think they caught in time not sure, but anyway thats why i gotta get checked every year there is just too much cancer in my family to take any chances, God bless and be strong!


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## blackmettalic (Apr 8, 2006)

KN: My post got erased, but in case you hadn't seen it. We will miss you too (I already do). I'm terribly sorry to hear about your struggles (my father has severe type 2 diabetes, which is cutting his life short). I hope that you are able to have a beautifu visit with your father even though it will be hard on you.

God bless and stay strong sweetie :heart:


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## KathrynNicole (Apr 24, 2006)

Oh my goodness. I'm so sorry. :hug: Thanks &amp; to you, too.


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## KathrynNicole (Apr 24, 2006)

Thank you, Jeana, and to you, too. :heart: I'm so sorry to hear about your father's health. :hug:

My father's funeral was Thursday.


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## Aquilah (Apr 24, 2006)

Kathryn, I'm very sorry for such painful times you're enduring. I can only imagine how hard it is.

I was lucky and caught my cancerous cervical cells before they actually became cancerous and spread. They were all successfully removed, and I've been fine since. I almost had another recent cancer scare, but it was only a cyst in my ovary (although it can come back anytime or in my other ovary).

My daughter's godmother experienced two losses to cancer within 24 hours. Her mother passed from lung cancer (20 years after she quit smoking) and her brother died not even a full 24 hours later from liver cancer. It was really hard on their family.

My DH has lost an uncle to liver cancer, and another to different cancers. Uncle Richard had breast cancer in both breasts, and had them removed, and had stomach cancer. His widowed wife is currently battling Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma for about the 5th time.

Cancer is hard, no matter what kind or who it "strikes." I greatly symphatize with your pain. I haven't myself lost someone close from cancer, but people I love have and I did have my own scare or two. I wish you all nothing but the best, and I'll keep you and your family in my prayers. :hug:


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## charish (May 12, 2006)

aw, that's so sad. well my grandmother when she was younger had a double mysectamy (not sure how its spelled). and died from lung cancer. they gave her about 6 months to live if she didn't take the treatments and that's all she lived with the treatments. i've had a cyst on my rgt. breast for at least 10 yrs. the ultrasounds have always came back ok. but i'm going back monday for another one. i'm thinking about just getting it removed.


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## Mina (May 12, 2006)

I am so sorry! I will keep all of ur family in my prayer...It's not about cancer i would say..about any disease that occure endure family member...my dad have High blood Pressure, Diabetic, Heart problem, (Cath 2 time), Gastric..with all this he don't know what to eat..every food have something added....and beyond that diabetic is killing his health slowly....he eats so rarely just boiling food..juices he can't drink cuz of sugar....

One of my uncle had two time Heart surgery.....Now that he doing ok for 6- or months...again problem...doctor found problem in his neck...my God can u believe it. He's hopeless now...he was telling me look after his family..he don't have any hope to live now..."whatever days he will be stay alive, will be gift from GOD..."doc was telling him to sugery for right side of the neck to remove the block from the artery. It could be very dangerous...not lots of ppl have this problem..docs was keep telling him it's cuz of his gene problem....i think it's just the world and reality that we have to face....I hope everybody stay in good Health and Smiling.


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## neurotoxicity (May 28, 2006)

This is something I wish I didn't have a lot of experience with. My dad died of pancreatic cancer in 2002 @ 37 years old. My Grandma who was also my best friend died of Ovarian cancer at a very young age.

My mother, and her sister have both had pre-cancerous lumps removed. My moms brother, died at 21 of lung cancer and never smoked cigarettes.

On my fathers side, my auntie had breast cancer.

I am SO terrified of getting cancer...  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />


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## Min (May 28, 2006)

Sorry to here about your father. Just know you have friends here that are willing to talk if you need it.

I'm going thru a health issue with my father in law right now. Last sat he had a swollen tongue &amp; a really bad cough it is getting progressively worse. He refuses to see a Dr. or let us take him to the hospital &amp; we are afraid his tongue will suffocate him. The more we ask him to see someone the more withdrawn he gets. Since he hasn't been seen by anyone we are assuming its lung cancer &amp; it is spreading rapidly. He is smoking &amp; drinking more than ever now I feel like he knows something &amp; wants to die I feel he would at least be more comfy with the meds I mean the beer will only numb him so much. I'm sure hes known he was sick for a long time for it to just come up out of no where like that I wish he would have said something because then we could have helped him. Now we are trying to get him health benefits hes unemployed so he doesn't have any. Although he refuses treatment at least we will be ready when we will need it. Luckily he's a vet &amp; we are in the process of hooking him up with the VA benefits they provide as a service to the vets.

So here we are a week later hoping he will stop being so thick &amp; go get diagnosed.


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## kenike (May 31, 2006)

cancer is an awful thing and it saddens me that it is so rampid as i have read in all the posts... find comfort in the fact that you are not alone even if you feel at times you are. my dad had cancer and thank God is in remission. i remember the oncologist saying that it is not just an individual's disease, but a family's. it affects everyone and in a million different ways. just be there for each other and not let a day go by when you don't express your love.

a journal helped me work out all my anger and sadness. you're in my prayers. xo


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## BrazenBrunhilda (Jun 1, 2006)

My step-dad is dying from Lymphoma. His white blood cell count is at 0 right now. They give him between 1 day and 3 months to live. My family is all messed up right now. I love him so much and hate to see him in such pain. My pop died when I was 17 of Melanoma and that just about killed me. Cancer sucks. I am really sorry to hear about your cancer nightmares.


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## KathrynNicole (Jun 24, 2006)

I haven't been able to read this thread since my father's death. Please forgive me. I'll try to read the replies soon.

:hug:


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## Zoey (Jul 2, 2006)

Sweety,you went through a hard experience in last months. Take your time and when you are ready you will read this thread. We are here for you anytime.

*hugs and smooches*


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## jayleelah (Jul 2, 2006)

I'm so sorry to hear that.

my grandmother was diagnosed with glioblastoma in january 1998 and she died february 14th 1998. This cancer is one of the worst. They didn't even think of removing the tumor. It was too late.

My uncle died last year in January of kidney cancer. He suffered so much.

I lost my little brother last february 15th. He was only 26.

Dealing with death is really hard. And I know what you're going thru.

We're all here for you.


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## Thais (Jul 3, 2006)

Hi Katie. I am sorry to hear about that. I dont have any family members with cancer (*knock on wood*), but I can give you a perspective from the other side of the disease (I'm a physician). I am glad to hear that your father has survived 2 years with GBM, he has certainly beaten the odds and that is great! Please let me know if I can help you with information.


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